Can unloading machine



July 18, 1944. J. D LE FRANK CAN UNLOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TToe/vx's y 1944- J. D. LE FRANK CAN UNLOADING MACHINE Filed Feb. '7. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. mm Dali/ M BY ,4 T TOENEYS Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED s A'rEs PATENT" ormcr. CANUNLOfiiSffMACHINE John D. Le Frank, American Can Com Maplewood, N. 3., assignor to may, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Newv Jersey Application February '1, 1942, Serial No. 429,940 7 Claims. (01. 214-11) This invention relates to a machine for unloading cans from filledilbre bgxes or cartons and has particular reference to unfolding or opening the usual overlapping closure flaps .of closed cartons containing metallic cans or containers and to the removing of the cans from such cartons.

It is the practice of container manufacturers to deliver cans to their customers in a sanitary condition and therefore various types of shipping receptacles are used, including the usual fibre cartons having one wall closed by overlapping outer and inner flaps. Many liquids and beverages that are canned are packed and shipped in handy size family cartons of this character. It is desirable and economical therefore to use the same carton for delivering empty cans to the canner for filling and for delivering the filled cans to the consumer, the cans being removed from the carton for filling and sealing and then being repacked into the original carton for distribution to the consumer;

The instant invention contemplates facilitating such a double use for cartons by providing a mechanical emptying machine which is particularly adaptable for use in packing plants and canneries for opening such cartons and for removing empty cans therefrom preparatory to filling the cans.

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision of a machine for removing empty cans from closed and filled cartons wherein the flaps constituting a closure wall of each carton are unfolded as the carton moves along a predetermined path of travel in that the cans may be emptied from the carton and advanced to a subsequent operation machine, such as a filling and sealing machine, while the empty cartons are advanced to a position adjacent the subsequent operation machine for the repacking with the filled and sealed cans.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an unloading machine wherein the cans are held magnetically while the carton is stripped oiT the cans by movement along a divergent path of travel so that the carton will be fully emptied of cans.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can unloading machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane indicated by the lines 2-2 in Fig. 1, the view showing a box of containers in an advanced position in the machine and showing ILIIOW the side or longitudinal flaps of the box are opened;-with partsbrokenawayr Fig. 3 is a top plan sectional view takensubstantially along a plane indicated by the lines 3-3 in Fig. 1, the view showing a carton of empty containers in section and in a position incident to opening its end or transverse flaps, with parts broken away; a

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine at the left in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 4 with additional parts and with parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the lines 6-6 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 1-1 in Fig. 6 and showing magnetic elements mounted on a rotary disc memher.

In the present invention, unsealed closed cartons A, filled with empty sheet metal cans B having one end open are moved along a predetermined path of travel on a conveyor. Such cartons preferably are resting on edge with their overlapping closure fiaps in a vertical plane extending parallel with the conveyor. The cans in the cartons rest on their sides in a horizontal position with the bottoms of the cans adjacent the carton flaps. In this position the cartons move against a pointed opening blade disposed adjacent the conveyor. The pointed blade engages under the longitudinal or outer flaps of the carton and forces them outwardly with a hinging action to partially open the carton and to expose the inner or transverse flaps. Following this hinging action the inner flaps are swung back by an actuated finger to complete the full opening of the carton and to expose the bottom ends of the empty cans.

Each carton of exposed cans is moved further by the conveyor into a position adjacent the face of a rotating magnetic disc. such a disc has a plurality of magnets mounted thereon which attract the cans and whichhold them while the carton is stripped oiT or pulled away. The stripped off carton is delivered into a twisted runway which turns the carton right side up and which discharges it onto an auxiliary conveyor. The cans thus removed from each carton and still clinging to the disc, are carried by the rotating disc to a discharge chute. This chute serves as a stripper for removing the cans from the disc and for guiding them to any suitable place of deposit, such as for example, the filling and sealing machine hereinbefore mentioned.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention there is shown in the drawings a carton opening and emptying machine having a table l2 which is supported by a frame I3, a bracket 14 and a pedestal I5. The frame I3 is mounted on a base l5 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6). An endless chain conveyor I1 is disposed and operated adjacent the table i2 for propelling the filled cartons along the table during the opening operation. For this purpose conveyor fingers l5 are provided at spaced intervals along the conveyor.

The chain conveyor i1 is driven by a driving sprocket I9 mounted at one end of the machine on a drive shaft 22. At the opposite end of the machine the conveyor is carried over an idler sprocket 23 mounted on a shaft 24 carried in an upper structure 25 of the pedestal l5.

. Cartons moving along the table l2 are guided by a rail 25 which is carried on spaced brackets- 5 ll securd to the table 12. The table and the guide rail are tilted transversely as best illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 so that the can will remain in place in their carton until ready for removal as will be hereinafter explained.

As a carton A is propelled along the table l2 its longitudinal flaps marked C are opened as hereinbefore mentioned by a pointed carton opening blade 25 formed on the outer end of a guide plate 29 disposed parallel with and in spaced relation to the guide rail- 25. An outwardly curved bulged section 32 is formed in the guide plate and it is this bulged section that hinges the flaps C outwardly as hereinbefore mentioned.

The pointed end of the plate merges into a wide section which is slightly greater than the transverse width of the carton and this wide section of the plate further hinges the flaps until they have traveled through an angle of 180 and are standing upright in a vertical plane. The flaps thus entirely opened are held in this position by the wide section of the guide plate 29, as best shown in Fig. 1.

As the carton continues to move forward along the table I2 and between the guide rail 25 and guide plate 29 the inner or transverse fiaps marked D are swung open through an angle of 180 so that they will be in the same plane as the flaps C. For this purpose an opening 33 is formed in the guide plate 29 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5) so that as the inner fiaps D come into the opening, the natural spring in the material of the carton will partially open them. Full opening of these flaps is effected by an actuated finger 34 carried on an oscillated arm 35 which swings first in one direction and then in the other to engage against the flaps D alternately and to expose the empty cans B.

The arm 35 is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 35 which is carried in bearing lugs 37, 35 of the bracket l4-(Figs. 1 and 6). A lever 35 is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 35 and this lever carries a pin 42 which is connected pivotally to a link 43. The link connects with a reciprocating rod 44 which'carries a forked or bifurcated connection 45 at each end. This rod is carried slidably in suitable bosses in the frame I3 and the bracket 14. A pin 45 pivotally joins one of the forked connections 45 with t e link 43. The connection at the opposite end of the rod carries a cam roller 43 which operates against an edge cam 43. The roller is held against the cam by a compression spring 55 which surrounds the rod and which is interposed between the rod boss in the frame 13 and a collar 5| mounted on the rod.

The cam 43 is mounted on a cross shaft 52 journaled in suitable bearings in the frame l3 and in a bracket 53 (Figs. 5 and 6) mounted on the base l5. The shaft is rotated continuously by a gear 54 which is mounted on the outer end of the shaft. The gear 54 meshes with and is driven by a pinion 55 mounted on a driving shaft 55 journaled in a bearing formed in the bracket 53. This shaft is the main driving shaft of the entire machine and may be rotated in any suitable manner. The cross shaft 52 also drives the conveyor il hereinbefore mentioned. -For this purpose the cross shaft carries a sprocket 51, which drives an endless chain 55 that operates over a sprocket 55 mounted on the conveyor drive shaft 22. Thus with the rotation of the cross shaft 52, the conveyor i1 and the flap opening finger 34 are actuated in proper timed relation.

The opened carton, with flaps unfolded (Fig. 1), is moved up to and adjacent the face of a magnetized rotary unit 55. Such a unit includes a metallic disc 5| (Figs. 6 and 7) which is mounted on the shaft 52. A plurality of magnets 52 are secured to the disc 5|. These members are preferably of the permanent magnet type and are covered by a smooth non-magnetic outer disc 53.

When a carton of cans is moved into a position as. illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the empty metallic cans B are attracted to the outer disc 53 by the magnets 52. As the cans and the carton are advanced by the rotating magnetic disc 53 and by the-conveyor l'L'the carton leaves the conveyor and enters a curved runway which is concentric with the disc 53 and which includes a plurality of spaced and parallel curved guide rods 54, 55, 55, 51 and a curved continuation of the guide rail 25. Guide brackets 55, II are secured .to the guide rail 25 and support the curved guide rods 55, 51. A bracket 12 (Figs. 5 and 6) is secured to the table I2 and supports the guide rods 54 and 55.

Th guide rails 54, 55, 55, 51 start at the terminal end of the guide plate 29 and extend outwardly and downwardly at an angle to the face of the disc 53 so that the carton is moved away from the disc and thereby is stripped from the cans. The empty carton falls downwardly along the runway. The rails are twisted to turn the falling carton gradually from its "on edge position to a fiat horizontal upright position while holding the flaps open. The carton in this position is delivered onto a separate discharge conveyor I3. Thus it is in readiness to receive the cans after they have been filled and sealed as hereinbefore mentioned.

The machine end of the discharge conveyor 13 is supported on a pulley 14 mounted on a shaft 15 journaled in a bracket I5 (Fig. 1). This conveyor may be operated in any suitable manner to transfer the cartons to a repacking destination as hereinbefore mentioned.

The rotating disc 53 carries the cans B clinging thereto, downwardly through a curved path of travel and into engagement with an upwardly.

curved stripper plate 11 (Fig. 1) which is disposed adjacent the disc. This stripper plate is or may be an extension or continuation of the bottom of a substantially horizontal can discharge chute 18. The chute is supported on a floor stand Is which is located adjacent the disc. I

As the cans still held onto the disc 63 by the magnets 62 are advanced with the rotary unit aasa'rse gaging and for swinging open the inner flaps of the cartons to expose the cans therewithin, conveying means for advancing the cartons succes ll they engage against the stripper plate and thereby are stripped from the disc. The stripped or released cans roll into the chute l8 and are thus, directed to any suitable place of deposit.

' Such a chute preferably has side walls 82, 83

which guide the cans. The cans may be fed to can filling and sealing machinery of the conventional type while at the same time, emptied cartons A are being advanced along the conveyor I3 to the discharge end of the filling and sealing The filling and sealed cans may be machine. repacked thereafter into the original cartons, for shipment as hereinbefore mentioned.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may bemadein the form,

construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbeiore described being} merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A machine for opening cartons having inner sively into engagement with said prying means and said engaging means, and devices disposed in the path of travel of the opened cartons advanced by said conveying means for separating the exposed cans from the opened cartons.

sides of said conveyor for retaining said cartons in place, a pointed bladeextended from one of said guidesfor prying under the outer flaps of the cartons, said blade having a convex section adapted to'swing the outer flaps into open position, an oscillatory finger disposed adjacent said .guide in the'path of the inner flaps of the moving 7 cartons for alternately engaging and swinging and outer flaps and for unloading metallic cans therefrom, comprising in combination a conveyor for advancing cartons of said cans along a predetermined path of travel, spaced opening devices disposed adjacent said path of travel of the car-' open said inner flaps-of the cartons to expose the cans therewithin, a rotary magnetic disc unit operable adjacent the path of travel of the opened cartons for attracting and holding the exposed cans in a predetermined position, and means for removing the cartons from the cans while they are' so held to free the cans for a subsequent operation.

6. A machine for opening cartons having over- I lapping outer andinner closure flaps and for tons for successively engaging and swinging outwardly the inner and outer flaps of the carton to expose the cans contained within, and devices disposed later in the path of travel of the cartonsfor separating the exposed cans from the opened carton.

unloading empty metallic cans contained within the cartons, comprising in combination, -a conveyor for advancing the cartons along a predeter- .mined path of travel and in an on-edge" position, a pointed blade disposed in the path of travel of the cartons for prying under the outer flaps v of the moving carton,said blade having a bulged 2. A machine for opening cartons and for unloading metallic cans therefrom, comprising in combination a conveyor for advancing cartons of said cans along a predetermined path of travel, opening devices disposed adjacent said path of travel for opening a side of the carton-to expose the cans contained within, magnetic means operable adjacent the exposed cans in the opened carton for holding the cans in a predetermined position, and means forstripping the carton oh th held cans so that the cans will be free of the carton for a subsequent operation.

3. A machine for opening unsealed cartons having overlapping outer and inner closure flaps and for unloading empty cans contained within the cartons, comprising in combination a conveyor for advancing the cartons along a predetermined path of travel, a pointed blade disposed adjacent said conveyor-for prying under and for swinging open the outer flaps of the cartons, means for engaging and for swinging open the inner flaps of the cartons to expose the cans within, and devices also disposed adjacent the conveyor in the path of the opened cartons for separating the exposed cans from the opened cartons.

4. A machine for opening unsealed cartons having overlapping outer and inner closure flaps and for unloading empty cans contained within the cartons, comprising in combination, means for prying under and for swinging open the outer flaps of the cartons, means for successively ensection adapted to swing the outer flaps. into an open position, a finger also disposed in the path of the advancing cartons and movable in opposite directions into successive engagement with the inner flaps oi' the cartons for swinging them open to expose the cans within said carton, a rotary -magnetic disc unit operable adjacent the path of travel of the opened cartons for attracting and holding the cans in a predetermined position, a curved and twisted runway disposed at an angle to said disc unit for removing the cartons from the cans while they are so held to free the cans for a subsequent operation, and for turning the empty cartons from an on-edge position into an upright position, a stripper member disposed adjacent said magnetic disc for releasing the freed cans from the disc, and devices adjacent said disc and adjacent said runway for receiving the separated cans and cartons and for carrying veyor for advancing the cartons along a predeter- 

